My Life as an Asthma Mom

        Many people hear of RSV and think "Meh - it's just a cold." For babies with RSV, it can mean 1 out of 2 babies will end up in the hospital.  Could that happen to your baby?  CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen is an ER doctor, professor in Public Health, and former health commissioner. She is also mother to two young children. She says: "In the US, around 58,000 to 80,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized because of RSV. Newborns and young babies are especially susceptible. For babies younger than 6 months of age, the rate of hospitalization is as high as 1 to 2 out of every 100 kids infected with RSV."  Having a baby in the hospital with breathing problems is no fun. I should know, my kids were in the hospital 12 times (2 ICU's) when they were younger. RSV doesn't just affect babies - adults can also end up in the hospital with RSV.  Did You Know That:  159,000 adults will end up with RSV 10,000 - 13,00 will die This stat surp

 A friend just sent a photo of her daughter using a nebulizer and asked if it was connected correctly.   Friend knows I'm a Certified Asthma Educator and have been helping other families with asthma for 23 years. Narrator: Friend did not have the nebulizer pieces connected right. In fact, it looked like a highway interchange similar to a spaghetti bowl.  How do you answer someone who is asking of help and they have made a mistake?  Be Kind You can respond to any situation by being kind or tactless. I prefer to be kind. Gently Correct  When people show me how they use a inhaler or nebulizer (also called a compressor unit), I ask them to watch me while I show them the correct technique. Then I ask them if they would do anything differently now that they have seen the proper technique.  If they don't spot the error - I tell them that they are reallllly close - but it would help if they change  xyz"  I tell them that they will actually get more medicine out of their inhaler or